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AFTER HOUR IDYLS 



TO MY BOOK 

T/TfHEN to my friends I thee resign. 

Should any little song of mine 
Find lodgment in some burdened heart, 

And bring there joy and happiness, 
Or better still, relieve its smart, 

And comfort give in place of stress ; 
My purpose will not meet defeat, 
My recompense will be complete. 




Frederick Morgan Steele 



AFTER HOUR IDYLS 

# 



BY 



FREDERICK MORGAN STEELE 



PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR BY 

SMITH & SALE, PORTLAND, MAINE 

1909 



-^ 



< 



^ -A 






COPYRIGHT 

BY FREDERICK M. STEELE 

I 909 



©in 
i Auth 

MPersc 
MN 26 1910 



CONTENTS 



Devotion: 



IN HIS OWN TIME 

COMMUNION HYMN 

TRUSTING IN THY WORTHINESS 

OUR brother's NEED 

THY CHURCH 

HYMN FOR THANKSGIVING . 

FOR HELP LOOK UP TO JESUS 

THE PENITENT'S CRY 

"NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS" 

SUBMISSION . . 

WHERE'ER THE GLORIOUS ORB OF DAY 

JESUS KNOWS IT ALL 

WAITING .... 

A MEDITATION . 

IN MEMORY OF MY MOTHER 



3 

4 
5 
6 

7 
8 

9 
ii 

13 

15 
16 
17 
18 

20 
21 



Reflection : 



RAIN DROPS .... 


. 25 


GOOD BYE ..... 


. . .26 


OCTOBER ..... 


. 27 


INGRATITUDE .... 


. 28 


O'ERLOOKING THE PARK 


29 



CONTENTS 



to josephine 
courtesy . 
to my wife 
to my daughter 
may nineteenth 
ella's hair 

TO ELLA 

TO E. L. S. ON HER TWENTIETH BIRTHDAY 

"THE THINKING STUMP " 

SILVER WEDDING 

TO MY DAUGHTER ON HER TWENTY-FIRST BIRTHDAY 

FOR A BIRTHDAY DINNER 

HE LOVETH ALL 

IN ABSENCE 

BEYOND THE HORIZON 



Home 



FREDELLA HALL 

THE BIRDS AT FREDELLA HALL 

THE MANTLE OF THE SNOW 

DEKE .... 

NIX ..... 

NIXIE, MY DOG 

OUR CAT BIRDS 

OUT DOORS ! . . . 

CHICAGO — HIGHLAND PARK 

LULLABY .... 

GROWING 

TWIN PORTRAITS 



VI 



CONTENTS 



Travel 



COMPANIONSHIP . 


• 








• 77 


TAORMINA 








• 78 


THE CATACOMBS OF SYRACUSE 








. 80 


GIRGENTI .... 








. 82 


A MEDITATION AT AMALFI . 








. 84 


TAJ MAHAL 








. 86 


KINKINJUNKA 








. 87 


japan's INLAND SEA . 








. 89 


A RETROSPECT . 








91 


CANTON IN 1 90 1 








93 


MOSES' WELLS . 








96 


COSIETOFT RANCH 








99 


UNSOPHISTICATED 








IOI 


UP FRASER RIVER 








102 


Miscellaneous : 


ILLINOIS ! . 










107 


IN A PARLOR CAR 










no 


NO CHANGE ! 










112 


A GENTLE CORRECTION 










114 


SUBURBAN RIDES 










115 


BACON 










117 


ONCE MORE 










Il8 


GRANDMA ALLEN 










I20 


REMOVAL OF TEMPTATION . 










121 


A FINISHED EDUCATION 










122 


THE POINT OF VIEW . 










123 


a child's CONUNDRUM 










124 


CONFIDENCES 










125 


L 'ENVOI .... 

V 


ii 








127 



PREFACE 

THE poems collected in this volume were 
penned with no thought of their ultimate 
publication. They came to the writer in 
the midst of a busy life, and were jotted down 
from time to time, in odd moments of leisure, for 
his own gratification and the partial eyes of friend- 
ship. It has been suggested repeatedly, and 
from many sources, that a more permanent form 
should be given to them. These suggestions, 
though still thought very flattering, he trusts, in 
the accomplishment, will afford his friends some 
pleasure. 

The various thoughts and reflections herein 
are adorned by little of pretentious or rhetorical 
language. No struggle has been made for effect. 
"The desire of the moth for the star" has been 
expressed in a spontaneously simple manner from 
the heart ; and whatever pleasure may be derived 
from the perusal of these pages the reader may be 
assured will be reflected in the heart of 

THE AUTHOR 

Highland Park, Illinois 



t 

TO THE A UTHOR 

A S some wayfarer, weary, sad, 

And blinded by the noontide glare 
Harks to a trill that makes him glad, 
And lightens all the quivering air ; 

Or gazes on a wayside flow' r, 

The darling of a summer 's day, 
That brings to him a precious hour 

He deemed forever passed away ; 

I turn, dear friend, these leaves of thine 
And, as I read, the Present fades ; 

I joy in every gentle line 

That glides along, in lights and shades, 

Still singing as the wayside bird 

A song of trust and faith and love ; 

A wayside flow V each cheering word 
That lifts the soul to thoughts above .' 

' Tis not the bird of highest flights 
That sings the most inspiring song ; 

And not alone the rose delights 

The heart, and bids sweet memories throng. 

And with these songs of far-off skies, 
Of Hope, wifehood and motherhood, 

Surely thy book the world will prize 
Long as shall last the True, the Good. 

xi 



My friend, as I these pages read — 

Songs from thy heart ', by Truth endear ed, 

Tho' long since noontide bade i God speed" 
My wayfaring is smoothed and cheered. 



GEORGE COOPER 



West Hoboken, N. J. 

May 2jth, IQ09 



TO MY WIFE 

THESE MUSINGS OF MY LEISURE 
HOURS I LOVINGLY DEDICATE TO 
YOU, IN RECOGNITION OF THE 
FACT THAT WHATEVER IS WORTHY 
HEREIN OWES ITS INSPIRATION TO 
YOUR TRUE WOMANHOOD, DEVOT- 
EDNESS AND AFFECTION 

THE AUTHOR 



DEVOTION 



in his Awn time 

/^~VN each of the days vouchsafed to the Earth 
^—' And its millions, where'er they are found, 
The souls that go home to their Maker and God 

From o'er the wide world, to its uttermost bound, 
Are a multitude vast, the weak and the strong ; 
A full hundred thousand compose the great throng. 

Each cycle of hours, from the dawn of the day, 
Till the time when in glory the Sun reappears, 

While we tread the pathway of duty and toil, 
This army of souls close their earthly careers. 

The call is for them, yet some day 'twill be 

The summons, my friend, for you and for me. 

And why are we spared to continue the task 
Assigned unto us, when others are bid ? 

'Tis known to Our Father, and in His good time 
Our journeys shall end. His Counsels are hid. 

When comes the first call, for whom shall it be ? 

Will God in His providence, take you, or me? 

God grant every day, to our duty and toil 

We may bend our whole thought, care, and life, 

With little concern what His purposes are, 
But willing to cease, or continue, the strife. 

And when with the earth and its duties we 're through, 

May peace, thro' forgiveness, await me and you. 



COMMUNION HYMN 

Tune : " Savior Breathe an Evening Blessing" 8s, ys 

"OLESSED Jesus, round the table 
*-* Which shows forth Thy dying love, 
We are gathered in Thy presence, 
And in sight of hosts above. 

Standing with us, some are making 
First their covenant with Thee, 

We would give them earnest welcome 
By our human sympathy. 

Blessed Jesus, we have promised 

O'er them we would watch and pray; 

Make us faithful to that promise ; 
May they never go astray. 

Keep us all, we need Thy guidance, 

Till we meet before Thy face, 
Loyal, true, and undivided ; 

Drawn by Love, and saved by Grace ! 



TRUSTING IN TfiY WORTHINESS 

C. M. 

ORD, trusting in Thy worthiness 
■* — ' We humbly enter in, 
And round Thy Holy table meet 
With consciousness of sin. 

Thou, seeing all our weaknesses, 

And knowing that we fall, 
Hast bidden us to come to Thee, 

Now heed our contrite call. 

Oh, may the blessed Bread and Wine 

We consecrate to Thee, 
Still symbolize to us the Love, 

That shone from Calvary ! 

Lord, when we hence in silence go, 

Cause Thou our eyes to see, 
And make our hearts to realize, 

That we have supped with Thee. 



OUR BROTHER'S NEED 

/^~\H, the loss that comes by waiting 
^-^ To do a kindly thing, 
When the impulse is upon us 

And the chance away we fling — 
The golden chance to be of use ; 
Oh, what a dire and sad abuse ! 

Abuse of opportunity 

To serve our fellow man 
By doing just that friendly act, 

Thus aiding Heaven's plan, 
That we should help to bear the load 
Of him who faints upon the road. 

God teach us Him to imitate, 
Who, when on earth, once said, 

That inasmuch as to the " least" 
A kindness we had paid 

And " in His name " who is our Lord, 

We should in nowise lose reward. 



THY C^iURCH 

7s, 6s 

P^HE Church which Thou hast founded, 
-*- And built on Christ indeed, 
Thou gavest in compassion, 
Because of human need. 

Thou knewest all our failings, 
Our faults, in thought and deed, 

Thy Church was giv'n to help us 
In direst human need. 

We know our hearts are sinful, 

And truly, when we read 
Of what Thy love has giv'n us, 

We feel our human need. 

The Corner Stone is Jesus, 

His sacrifice we plead, 
'Tis there we claim His promise 

To help our human need. 

We praise Thee, Lord, for giving 
Thy Church, the soul to feed ; 

Uplifting all the sinful 
To Thee, Our Human Need. 



HYMN FOR THANKSGIVING 

Tune: "Louvan, L. M. " 

I |DR all the blessings which have showered 
"*■ Upon our lives, since last we met, 
We give our thanks, upon the day 
Appointed ; let not hearts forget. 

We thank Thee for Thy bounteous love ; 

We would recall from whence has come 
The constant care, the blessings given 

So free, we cannot count the sum. 

Guide Thou our thoughts to Heaven above, 
And praising Thee, for kindness shown, 

Let grateful hearts remember still 

Thy goodness thro' the year now flown. 

Thou hast surrounded with Thy love, 
Thou hast protected by Thy care, 

Thy children here, from day to day ; 

Oh ! hear our heartfelt, thankful prayer ! 

May gratitude that prayer o'erflow ! 

May joyful songs be filled with praise, 
And may we learn where much is given 

Much is required, through all our days. 

Our loving Father, lead our hearts 

To join our songs with those now sung 

By saints above, who when on earth 
Proclaimed Thy Love in every tongue. 

8 



FOR HELP LOOK UP TO JESUS 

i 

?s, 6s 

\\ 7HEN fierce temptations gather, 

* And resolutions fail 

To keep our purpose steady 

And Faith and Courage quail ; 
My brother, then look upward, 

Your only safety 's there, 
For Christ has plainly told us 

He will our trials share. 

CHORUS 

For help look up to Jesus, 

His promises are sure. 
Trust him, and do your duty, 

And keep your conscience pure. 

Our enemies are many 

They 'd gladly see us fail, 
And if our steps should falter 

Our downfall they would hail. 
Think not that they would help you 

Regain your lost estate ; 
Our help must come from Jesus, 

Who waiteth long and late ! 

Man's greatest foe is self-love ; 

From out a wicked heart 
Come seeds of mighty evil 

Which make the conscience smart. 



If yielding to temptation 
We put our standards by, 

Trusting in strength, unaided, 
High purposes will fly. 

One Friend alone can aid you, 

To conquer self and sin ! 
Brother, your heart now open 

And let your Savior in ! 
However far you 've wandered, 

Though Satan calls you still, 
Remember now, His promise, 

To "Whosoever will." 



10 



I 

THE PENITENT'S CRY 



f~\H, the dreadful sin of waiting, 
^^ Not doing what we ought, 
In the days that God has given ! 
The Future can't be bought. 

We are sure of just the Present, 

To-morrow may not come ; 
Before the day or night be gone, 

We may be taken home ! 

And if the summons be for me, 

And I am asked to face 
The Judge of what my life has been, 

I only hope for grace. 

I know there 's naught I can demand ; 

I 've lived a selfish life ; 
To seek those things both high and true 

Enlisted not my strife. 

I dare not ask forgiveness now, 

I only am to blame 
That mine has been a wasted life ; 

I 've known of Jesus' claim. 

His claim that mine should be a life 

Devoted to the right ; 
That "in His time," I might reveal 

My soul to His clear sight. 

ii 



But what to me will be the " home," 

To which I 'm ushered in ? 
And can it be, despite my life, 

I may be freed from sin ? 

Will He whom I 've neglected so 

Receive my soul at last, 
And make it white, free it from taint 

Which long has held t fast ? 

Yes, when He looks upon my life, 
There 's so much there that 's wrong, 

I know my worthlessness will show ! 
I 've known it all along. 

And yet, and yet, what have I done 

To change a life giv'n o'er 
To selfishness, and secret sin ; 

In this I 've failed and more ! 

Unheeded was " the still, small voice " — 

The call to duty plain ; 
Unminded were Faith's pleading prayers ! 

And can they be in vain ? 

O God, who givest us the lives 

We spend, and as we will, 
Canst Thou forgive our sinfulness, 

And love us, love us still ? 

In spite of all our wickedness, 

Despite the falls we make, 
'Tis Thy forgiveness now we ask, 

"And all for Jesus' sake." 

12 



"NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS" 



I ""HE solemn words which are pronounced ; 
-*~ The power invoked, the blessings sought 
Upon our lives, thro' reverent thought, 
When by, or for us, is renounced 

The wrong, from which all would be free, — 
The self same words, fit you and me ! 

Before his God each stands alone ! 

And equal all, in His clear sight. 

When baptism seals us to its rite, 
Faith firmly claims us for her own ; 

The vows then pledged, abiding, sure, 

Are just the same for rich or poor. 

Where'er we stand, (be not misled,) 
To plight our troth as man and wife, 
Nor pomp, nor power, nor rank in life 

Effects one change in what is said ; 
The promise is to each and Thee, 
Enduring as Eternity ! 

From birth, ours is a common lot ; 

We live our lives, then give them up. 

We drink the sweet or bitter cup 
God sends. But yet, we 're not forgot ! 

Before Him subterfuge is vain, 

All stand upon a common plane. 

13 



And when each earthly life is done, 
The Soul beyond our ken has sped, 
Still unto Him this prayer is said 

By yearning hearts who trust God's Son : 
" Christ be, for all who 've ceased the strife, 
The Resurrection, and the Life." 



14 



SUBMISSION 

TF clouds came not between 
*~ Our vision and the sun, 
Then were no shadows seen, 

And when the days were done, 
And autumn gave its meed 

Of fruitage for the year, 
The answer would we read 

In vineyards parched and sere. 

Should trials never come 

To darken pathways here, 
And make us yearn for Home 

Through Faith's submissive tear, 
We might not heed God's leading ; 

For when He calls us higher, 
Despite our earnest pleading, 

He purifies by fire. 

Come sunshine then, or night, 

Come clouds or clearing skies ; 
Come, Overruling Might, 

In varying forms and guise ; 
Tho' rough or smooth the way, 

Help us our course to run, 
And with submission say 

"Thy will, O Lord, be done." 



15 



WHERE'ER THE GLORIOUS ORB 
OF DAY 

C. M. 

\ 1 WHERE'ER the glorious orb of day 

* Has gazed, while circling round 

About our little ball, called Earth, 
Thy Presence hath it found. 

We cannot hide ourselves from Thee, 

Thou dwellest everywhere, 
Our inmost thoughts are even known ; 

Our lives are in Thy care. 

Help us to keep our walk so free 

From every careless slip, 
That Thou canst come and dwell with us 

In sweet companionship. 

Teach us what Thou wouldst have us do 

To show our love for Thee, 
Give us Thy grace from day to day 

That we may holier be. 

More like Thyself make us, thro' life, 

And as we near its end, 
Still trusting in Thy promises, 

Thy peace upon us send. 



16 



JESUS KN6WS it all 

\ li 7HY should hearts be troubled here 
* When Jesus knows it all ? 

Why not trust Him ? He knows best, 
Whatever may befall. 

Jesus knows our every need, 

Our trials great or small, 
He in Heaven, His dwelling place, 

Hears our every call. 

If we stumble on our path, 

And should we faint or fall, 
Toiling on the upward way, 

Still, He knows it all. 

He can change unworthy lives, 

Think what came to Saul ! 
Jesus called him on the road, 

Changed him into Paul. 

Jesus, Elder Brother, mine, 

Thou art my " All in All," 
Hear me, help me, make me Thine, 

Save me, lest I fall ! 



17 



WAITING 



r I ^HOU hast said in the dear " Father's House' 

-*■ There will numberless " mansions " be ; 
I believe in the truth of Thy promise, 

And trust one is waiting for me. 
I wonder, in thinking it over, 

If my mansion is ready for me, 
And when, O my Blessed Redeemer, 

Thou wilt summon me home to Thee ! 

Perhaps if my mansion is waiting, 

That / am not ready, as yet, 
And my work in this world is unfinished ; 

That the duties before me set 
Are only begun, not accomplished, 

From the standpoint of Heavenly view ; 
That in effort I still am " found wanting ; " 

Would to God that I only knew ! 

Yet I 'm sure that the Giver of all Good 

Knoweth well what is best for me ; 
So I try to abide in contentment 

And every morning to see 
What duties are calling for action, — 

To cheerfully do with my might 
The ones that lie closest before me, 

That all be accomplished by night. 



If God then shall find fie obedient 

And seeking my mission to fill, 
Perhaps He will look with compassion 

And help me conform to His will. 
And so every day of endeavor 

May chasten and purify me, 
And He '11 find some day, that I 'm worthy 

My mansion in Heaven to see. 



19 



A MEDITATION 

ON 2 CORINTHIANS, V. 1-9 

THANKS be to Thee for the comfort of those words 
Which say, "we have a building," " not made with hands ; 
That if our home on earth should be " dissolved," 

Our spirits then set free from earthly bands 
Shall mount on wings, and homeward take their flight, 

Their cast off " tabernacles " left behind, 
In which they 've "groaned," and longed to be released ; 
But now "eternal" bliss is theirs to find. 

God give us day by day, as we our tasks fulfill, 

A present sense of what this promise means, 
That when, in truth, we " earnestly desire " 

To be so " clothed upon " by grace that screens 
The Soul, and helps us daily, one and all, 

To so appropriate the sacrifice 
Christ made for us, that we may not be found 

Thus " naked," in the light of Paradise; 

But ' ' clothed upon with ' ' that ' ' which is from heaven ' ' 

While walking here " by faith and not by sight," 
And laboring with humble heart and mind 

To " be accepted " of the Lord of Light. 
And when our time is come to "be unclothed," 

Let this be our endeavor, and our strife, 
Through Thy forgiveness to be " clothed upon," 

So " that mortality be swallowed up of life ! " 



IN MEMORY OF MY MOTHER 



"\ T 7HILE Easter bells were ringing, 

* * As the sun was shining bright, 
When Easter thoughts were bringing 

Their Resurrection light, 
Your heart, relieved from sorrows, 

From pain the body freed, 
The Soul, for glad to-morrows, 

Went home to bliss indeed ! 

Shall we whose toil remaineth, 

While Mercy keeps us here, 
Shall we while life containeth 

Aught that can make it dear, 
Mourn that from Life's endeavor 

Her spirit hath release ? 
For now she lives forever 

Where pain and sorrow cease. 

No motive low, or base, or mean, 

Lured her the Good to slight ; 
And notwithstanding conflicts keen 

She battled for the right. 
Discouraged hearts assisting, 

Uplifting those who fall, 
Injustice foul resisting, 

Her aid was given to all. 

21 



What reason then for sorrow, 

For sable pall and wraith ? 
Can Death his symbols borrow 

From our victorious Faith ? 
While time was past for sowing, 

And severed one more bond, 
Yet blessed was "this going" 

Into the "Great Beyond." 

The call to " come up higher " 

On Sabbath morning came ; 
For souls that do aspire, 

Each da3 r is just the same ; 
But how fitting, 'mid Life's roaming, 

As flowers and songs were born, 
That God should grant " home coming 

On Resurrection Morn ! 



22 



REFLECTION 



RAII^ DROPS 

TF the rain drops were not present 
-*• To reflect the sun's glad rays, 
Would their pure and perfect splendor 
Ever brighten earthly days ? 

So it may be in God's leadings, 

When He purifies us here, 
To refine us, oft He chastens 

At the cost of many a tear. 

Thro' the rain drops of our suffering 
Do we hail the perfect light ; 

When we see His purpose clearly 
We shall know that all was right. 



25 



GOOD BYE 

r OD be with you," did you say, 
^-^ When, at parting time to-day, 
Sad, I left you, with a sigh, 

And toward the door was led ? 
Yes, in bidding me, " Good bye," 

That 's exactly what you said. 

And that blessing bides with me ; 

Oft its prayer has kept me free 
From temptation's deadly lure ; 

For I 've learned, the Power that keeps 
Watch and ward, unerring, sure, 

Is the God who never sleeps ! 



26 



OCTOBER 

r I ^HE Autumn leaves of brightest hues 
-*■ Bedeck the trees, afar and near ; 

Resplendently their story tells 
The dying glory of the year. 

Shall it be so, as we pass on 

To full maturity of powers, 
That rounded character will reach 

Its glory time, like leafy showers ? 



27 



INGRATITUDE 

' I ^HE world includes but precious few 
■*" Who love to help their friends, 

And show it by the pains they take 
To further kindly ends. 

And some there be who take what comes, 

And seem bereft of sense ! 
Enjoying all that 's given to them, 

Without fair recompense, — 

The recompense of gratitude 
Which cancels many claims ; 

In this, how few there be that try 
To keep unsullied names ! 

How easy 'tis to give to those 

Whose benefits we share, 
The simple boon of thankful hearts, — 

The spirit's grateful prayer ! 

Yet thanks to One All Bountiful, 

For hearts that still believe 
'Tis sweeter, on Life's pilgrimage, 

To give than to receive ! 



28 



OVERLOOKING THE PARK 

*\ T 7HILE I sit and look out of the window 

* * This brilliant and sunshiny day ; 
As I gaze o'er the stretches of verdure 

Which lie between me and the bay, 
I see men and maids promenading, 

With elderly couples between ; 
And meand'ring along, come the boys and the girls 

A changing, bewildering scene ! 

From various pathways of life they are drawn ; 

My window they pass and repass, 
Each couple absorbed in plans of its own ; 

And these but a part of the mass 
Composing our vast cosmopolitan life, 

Who wend the streets day after day ; 
Perhaps now they 're telling their stories of love, 

Or chasing their sorrows away. 

Yet the trusting gaze of the elderly folk, 

And the coy, glancing toss of the head 
Of the maidens and girls, proclaim all too well 

The boon giv'n the pathway we tread, — 
God's blessing of love ! without which our lives 

Are cheerless and void, at the best ; 
When love takes possession, whatever our state, 

Life changes, and truly is blest ! 



29 



TO JOSEPHINE 

AGED SEVEN 

CWEET little child with laughing face, 
**~* With dimpled cheeks and airy grace, 
We love to have you at our home, 
You bring such cheer ! 
And many a year 
May you, and yours, be spared to come. 

It may turn out that you will grow, — 
With little girls 'tis often so, — 

And now that you in school are taught, 
You must be true 
In all you do, 
That lessons may not go for naught. 

And when you reach a maiden's place, 
May you be still both fair of face 

And anxious for your mother's praise ; 
May wood and dell 
Your virtues tell, 
Because you glorify your days ! 

With many deeds of kindness shown, 
By graces rightly made your own, 
May you be mother's help and stay, 
Your father's joy 
Without alloy, 
Dear Josephine, for this we pray ! 



3o 



COURTESY 

A™ 



"* what," you ask, "is courtesy?" 
Of all my friends, you should know best, 
Because, in truth, you practice it : 

True kindness 'tis, kindly expressed." 



3i 



TO MY WIFE 

' I ^HE moon, most brilliantly bright, 
■*■ Has risen from out the dark lake ; 

The stars in the frosty air 

Add their might to its silvery wake. 

The night is cold and crisp, 

The shadows cut clear in the snow ; 

The ravens have hushed their cawing, 
And the winds have ceased to blow. 

'Tis the stillness of northern night 
When the mercury drops in the glass, 

That suggests to this fond waiting heart 
That many an hour must pass 

Till we meet in the summer shining, 
Under palms, where soft balmy air 

Fans dear ones who there wait the coming 
Of him who so longs to be there ! 

Does the same moon give beauty, my darling, 
To the ocean in front of your beach 

As it does to our dear inland waters ? 
Thus bringing each closer to each ? 

Then remember the same Guiding Spirit 
That rolls earth around in His hand, 

Gives comfort and care to His loved ones 
On ocean, or lake, or on land. 



32 



TO MY DAUGHTER 

\ ~\ THAT do we call you, Child of our love ? 

■ " What have we named you in years gone by ? 
Listen awhile ! I '11 try to recall 

The names given to you, and reasons why. 

When but a babe with big wond'ring eyes, 
And a gaze, too, that was nothing less, 

Your " Other Grandma " used to remark 
That you were properly little "Queen Bess." 

When to her parents our schoolgirl came 

Home from her desk, or, let out early 
Because of good work, or better still 

With honor mark, then you were " Girlie." 

As education called you from home, 

We constantly wrote, I must confess 
They were letters of praise and sympathy, too, 

But at that time we styled you "Bess." 

Admiring schoolmates and friends forsooth, 
Some nicknames chose, for instance, "Petty." 

But such are only the shortened ones 

Affection suggests, — they called you "Betty." 

But now what name did your parents give ? 

That which baptism sealed till death ! 
'Twas the blessed name of holy intent, 

And for all time, you're "Elizabeth /" 



33 



MAY NINETEENTH 

"\ TO wonder flowers open ! 
■*■ ^ No marvel birds all sing ! 
This is the day of all the days 
Of welcome, happy, Spring ! 

For on this blessed morning 
This nineteenth day of May, 

There came to earth a baby, 
( Some years ago ) they say, 

Who, growing, made more pleasant 
The world in which she lives. 

To those about her pathway 
Abundantly she gives 

The largess of her heartfelt love, 

Her pure unselfishness, 
The sunshine of her kindly smiles 

That ever beam to bless ! 

Her friends sincerely love her, 

But most of all, do I, 
For she is now my guiding star ! 

I know the reason why ; 

For of her many graces, 
Whose leadings I confess, 

Is one, of all, the fairest, 
The grace of loveliness ! 

34 



So on this birthday morning, 
The brightest ever seen, 

Let's wish for many birthdays 
For you and me, my Queen ! 



35 



ELLA'S HAIR 

"X/'OU say it is white and thinning, 
■*■ That you 're losing the wealth of hair 

That once was your crown of glory, 
And graced your dear face so fair. 

But to me, when first I met you, 
And, when its shadows used to flit, 

'Twas just as it is at present ; 
Not older or changed one whit ! 

For when youth was yours, my darling, 
And when both were younger than now, 

Its beautiful color and shading 
Forced heart and spirit to bow 

To the beauty of waving tresses, 
Set above the sweet face, so fair, 

Of the woman who still possesses 
That beautiful blue-white hair. 

So tenderly care for and keep it ; 

Don't lose what you '11 never regain ; 
Each lock is so dear to me, darling, 

That in it I 'm locked to remain 

Till God in His Infinite goodness 
Shall call you to regions so fair, 

You '11 leave all that 's earthly behind you, 
Still we '11 treasure your beautiful hair. 



36 



TO ELLA 

(NOVEMBER 6, 1883, NOVEMBER 6, 1905) 

1\ /TY darling wife, the years have passed — 
-*-»•*- Since hearts were given, each to each 

So rapidly 
We hardly credit that the last 

Brings us to where with hope we reach 
Afar, with introspective gaze, 

O'er pathways that we 've journeyed hence. 
We cannot see, 
But meet the unknown future days 

With earnest trust and confidence. 

We blessings crave, forgiveness, too ; 
Let us remember mercies shown, 
Tho' storms were wild, 
Throughout our lives, for which are due 

Our deepest thanks for all we 've known 
Of help and comfort, care and love, 

With one dear heart to cheer our fate — 
Dear blessed Child ! 
Long may she bide, our own wee dove ! 
And one above to watch and wait ! 

The years behind are twenty-two, 
The years ahead we know not one ; 
As they unfold, 

37 



God grant they may be long for you 
And that, when comes the setting sun, 

I may be with you, my dear wife, 

To smooth your hair, and hold your hand, 
Just as of old, 

And make more sweet the close of Life 
Till you shall enter " Fatherland ! " 



38 



TO E. L. S. ON HER TWENTIETH 
BIRTHDAY 



IV TOW here 's to the girl of our pride, 
"*- * Toward whom our hearts open wide ! 
On her blessings have showered in plenty, 
But she 's no less our child tho' she 's twenty. 

Tho' the years may bring trials or care, 
May her heart remain true and face fair, 
Whatever betide, remember this, dear : 
Hold fast to your standards, and never fear ! 

So we pray throughout the long morrows 
For a life fairly free from its sorrows, 
With grace to relieve, and carry its stress, 
And joys without number for our Darling Bess 



39 



"THE THINKING STUMP" 

"\ ~\ 7HEN such perplexities arise, 
" ™ And troubles come so fast 

That thoughts must quickly shape themselves 
To face the cheerless blast. 

When "things " must then be settled, soon, 

And working plans laid out, 
Then, Ella 's missed from usual haunts : 

Let's see what she's about. 

We find her on Olympus' height, 

The mountain by the lake, 
She 's gazing far beyond the line 

Where waves their white caps make. 

And it seems, that in the distance, 

Beyond where one can see, 
The deeps are lulled to quietness 

As fain her heart would be. 

So seated on her " thinking stump " 

The lake before her feet, 
With trees and flowers on every hand, 

Disquiet is not meet. 

Then troubles take unto themselves 

The wings with which to fly ; 
Before she knows that they are gone 

They 've reached the " by and by." 

40 



And matters have ^> shaped themselves, 
Her heart is soothed, and calm 

Partaking of such quietude 
As falleth like a balm. 

The balm which comes with settled thought, 
When ease takes place of pain, 

And Nature's kindly restfulness 
Sinks into heart and brain. 

Oh helpful, Mount Olympus blest ! 

You make our senses jump 
At recollections, near and dear, 

Of that old "thinking stump." 



4i 



SILVER WEDDING 

1883-1908 

NOVEMBER 6, 1908 

1\ /FY dearest wife, you 're lovelier far 

-*■ Than years ago, when first you gave 
Allegiance to the slender man 

Who sought to be your willing slave ! 

So dear you've been through all the years 
Which link that happy day to this, 

That sweeter now than e'er before, 
I find the meaning of your kiss. 

Maturer love, devotion true, 

Shine in your eyes, and make your life 
The benediction of our home, 

And grace the sacred name of wife. 

The years have given to memory, one, 
And one who stayed with us awhile, 

But since has given her youth and love 
To him from out the rank and file 

Of those who sought her hand and heart. 

Heav'n bless and keep our angel boy ! 
God bless, and guard the darling pair 

Who yet are here, from earth's alloy. 

42 



Yes, five and twent/ years to-day 

Have gone, and blessed us they passed. 

Our pathway has been strewn with flowers, 
In pastures fair our lot was cast. 

With silvered hair to crown our heads 
We pass the quarter century line 

Since wedding bells their story told, 
When, you dear, promised to be mine. 

With thankful hearts for every hour 
Vouchsafed to us, together, here, 

And pressing forward, hand in hand, 
We '11 meet the future without fear. 



43 



TO MY DAUGHTER 

ON HER TWENTY-FIRST BIRTHDAY 

1\ /T Y daughter fair, with outlook wide 
-L"J- On life's far-reaching sea, 
Of birthdays this important one 
Should holier be to thee 

Than many thou hast overpast, 
On which with backward look 

You wonder when the maiden came 
Or when the girl forsook 

The fancies born of childhood's days, 

With little care or thought 
Of what the future had in store ; 

Or battles to be fought 

Perhaps with self; of victories, too, 
That you must win, to make complete 

The work that God intrusted you 
To finish, and lay at His feet. 

For womanhood before you lies ; 

Its duties, dear, are wider too 
Than those in days of earlier youth, — 

It carrieth a broader view. 

44 



Not that I 'd nave you give to life 

A sullen, sombre, tone ; 
A thankful heart you '11 surely need 

For constant mercies shown ! 

'Tis only those with watchful eye, 
And soul with windows thrown 

Wide open to receive the good — 
E'en then not half is known 

Of what our Heavenly Father hath 
Bestowed in truth on those 

Whose loving service and firm faith 
On His sure word repose. 



45 



FOR A BIRTHDAY DINNER 

OIXTY you say ! 

**— ^ Why Frances, no, 

It can't be so ! 
Only yesterday 
We saw you with your little ones 

So happy round the evening light ; 
You still are young in thought and deed, 

We can't agree three score is right ! 

But where are they, 

The babes, forsooth ? 

Their tender youth 
Has flown away ! 
Time, Frances, leads us swiftly on, 

The cards must have a brand new deal ; 
Remember tho' 'tis true of all 

" We 're only as old as we feel ! " 

Then here 's to the past ! 

It's blessings are sure ; 

True worth must endure ; 
Reward obtains at last ! 
For all that 's vouchsafed us on earth, 

Our thankfulness owes a rich debt. 
With hearts set steadfastly beyond, 

Let 's trust Him for one score years yet ! 



46 



HE l6veth all 

'X/'OU horrid little sparrow, 

I wish that you were dead ! 
A perfect little nuisance ! " — 
How often this is said. 

And thus with selfish chiding 
The precious moments fly, 

Forgetful of His purpose 
Who ruleth earth and sky. 

God's love is all pervading ; 

He hears the sparrow's call ! 
" Not one without your Father 

Upon the ground shall fall." 

How different, yea, divergent, 
Our love from that above ; 

He loveth all His creatures, 
Ours but a selfish love ! 



47 



IN ABSENCE 

[""NEAREST one ! thou art fair to me, 
-*-^ Ah ! fairer than the flag, thy boast ! 
The stars and stripes still float o'er thee 
While sad I roam from coast to coast ! 

Sad, because I am far from thee : 
Up to the night I turn mine eyes, 

And watch the stars sink in the sea, 
While songs within my heart arise. 

Songs that tell of dear days to be 
When we no longer drift apart ! 

As sinking stars fade in the sea, 
Thy lover's songs die in his heart ! 



48 



BEYOND THE HORIZON 



I ""HE sullen Lake is misty grey ; 
■*• Its outer line where sodden skies 
Lie close and shut the waters in, 
Restricts our view, 
And gives in lieu 
A feeling one cannot gainsay, 

Or dissipate, or e'en disguise, — 
Of loneliness, the heart within. 

And yet we know that spaces grand 

Reach out beyond our vision, still, 
That sunshine, warmth, and color tones 
Must still exist 
Beyond the mist. 
It may be we shall understand 

Some day, just why Our Father's will 
Our longed for blessedness, postpones. 

Perhaps we need each somber day 

For introspection, and to see 
How great the benefits that fall 
To us each day, 
Which far outweigh 
The gratitude our Souls betray 

In acts of kindness. Little we 
Appreciate His love to all ! 

49 



But when the loneliness gives place 

To thoughts of joy and helpfulness, 
Like magic the horizon line 

Is broadened out ! 
Gone fear and doubt 
From out our hearts. Then God gives Grace 

To every willing soul, to bless. 
Dear Father, may this Grace be mine ! 



5o 



HOME 



FREDELLA HALL 

T^REDELLA Hall ! when thee our eyes behold,— 
■*- As snow white pillars meet our kindly gaze, — 
Thy grace enthralls ! 
Do memory's halls 
To us a more enchanting thought unfold, — 
Suggest more joy than do thy Summer days ? 

The Maple trees, which grandly cluster round, 
With Oak and Elm, in Nature's varied forms, 
Make a chaplet rare, 
Beyond compare, 
While Linden, and Willow and Chestnut are found 
On every hand, to thus shield thee from storms. 

Catalpa and Woodbine grow rank in Ravine, 

Wild Cherry, White Ash, and the Buckthorn abound, 
While Ivy neat, 
With clinging feet, 
The stone walls is hiding, with foliage green ; 

Tho' wildness is there, naught cumbers the ground. 

Magnolia, Syringa, and Strawberry tree, 
Bridal Wreath, Lilac, and Clematis Vine, 
Reach upward, cling, 
And perfume fling 
O'er reaches of lawn, and then as we see 

In vista the lake ! What could be more fine ? 



53 



To perfection all tend ! Water, sky blue, 

Green of the trees, and soft grass of the lawn, 
Scarlet of flowers, 
Roses in bowers, 
Sumac in clusters of flame-colored hue, 
Salvia borders, which outrival dawn ! 

These are thy Coronet ! More to recall, 
Shall we tell of the splendor of Sunrise ? 
When Orb of the day 
Turns gold its way 
Across the broad lake, as its first rays fall ; 
Or, when in bright glory, its radiance dies. 

On Michigan's waters, the sun like fire 

Shines far and near, and our world is awake 
When its glad rays 
Thro' lengthening days, 
Kiss Freedom's flag, whose towering staff is higher 
Than even circling trees, that rich its setting make. 

We reverence our Emblem. Thro' the long day 
Grandly it floats ! 'tis the world's greatest prize ! 
Long may " Old Glory " 
Tell the sweet story, 
That Peace, Love, and Content abide alway, 
Within our Home, o'er which unfurled it flies ! 



54 



THE BIRDS AT FREDELLA HALL 

A MONG the welcome happenings, 
■*■ ^ Around and near our Country Home, 
As Winter's snow 
Begins to go 
Is the coming of the bird, who sings 
His prophecy of joys to come. 

That early harbinger of Spring, 
The bird whose soft note lingers 
In mem'ry } r et ; 
We can't forget 
The Birds of Blue, whose voices ring 
From trees with icy, pendant fingers. 

And then, while lingers 3 r et the snow, 
And braving all the sleet and cold, 
The Robin's song 
The days prolong, 
As singing in the sunset's glow, 

He doth his evening prayer unfold. 

The sparrow, too, in garb of brown, 
This most unwelcome English pest, 
All Winter long 
Has peeped his song 
Beneath the eaves, and then, to crown 
The insult, builds therein his nest ! 

55 



The Blue Jays, in Spring's gorgeous suit, 
Strut hereabout with pompous air, 
And the squirrels tease 
With gleeful ease ; 
If one were puzzled which to shoot, 
I think it would be, the blue pair ! 

And more there were, who made their stay 
Throughout the dreary Winter's cold ; 
We 've heard the howl 
Of hooting Owl, 
The scream of the Canadian Jay, 

And the raucous caw of the Raven bold. 

Now come the Thrushes, and the Wren, 
The Grosbeak, and Song Sparrow shy. 
Brown in the sun 
See the Thrush run ! 
An insect chasing, rising then, 
* Unto his mate's soft nest he '11 fly. 

Intent, and absorbed in his work, 

While clinging to the bark of the trees, 
Then up and down 
With crimson crown, 
The Flicker's bill, sharp as a dirk 
Is tapping, for insects, and bees. 

The Yellow Bird, with waving flight, 
Forever jubilant with song : 
The Warblers sweet 
With tiny feet 

56 



Cling tight to limtf, and add their might 
Unto the chorus, all day long. 

Returning to perch on the limb 
When some unlucky fly is caught, 
Well pleased with self 
And edible pelf, 
The Fly Catcher pours forth his hymn, — 
With joy and with thankfulness fraught. 

The Phoebe without fear of wrong, 

Beneath the wide porch builds her nest ; 
And Wilson's Thrush 
In gloaming's hush, 
Warbles his sweet melodious song, 
His "good night" ere he goes to rest. 

The Grackle and Indigo Bird 

Shine sleek against the tree's dark bole 
While there, on high, 
Look up ! and spy 
The pendant nest, while the song is heard 
Of its builder, the gay Oriole. 

Then sipping the Salvia's honey, 

And darting on, from flower to flower, 
Resplendent hues 
Of green and blues 
Show Humming Bird in flight, like money - 
As hard to grasp, as fame and power ! 

In the bush of the Syringa, near 
Where Lilies fair and Iris blow, 

57 



Cat Birds have made 
'Neath its dark shade 
Their nest, and each morn, without fear, 
Their praise and their joy overflow. 

The brilliant Tananger, in red, 
That richly, gaily plumaged bird, 
Attention calls, 
While radiance falls, 
As outstretched wings, their glory spread, 
Have all our admiration stirred. 

At sunset, the Night Hawks come out 
Sailing and poising high o'erhead, 
And skimming Swallows 
Over hollows, 
With circling flight, for insects scout, 
"And verily they shall be fed ! " 

Thus many welcome feathered friends 
Who visits pay Fredella Hall, 
Are mentioned now. 
In praise, we bow, 
To Him who these in kindness sends, 
And who in Love hath made them all ! 



58 



THE MANTLE OF THE SNOW 

[^HIS morn, when the curtain back was thrown, 
*■ I looked upon the outer world ; 
All was so new 
Unto my view 
That I hardly recognized my own, 

In bending trees with branches curled. 

The roads and walks had disappeared 

Beneath a coat of glittering snow, 

Which was so white 

My wondering sight 

Recoiled ; mine eyes were nearly seared 

By the brilliance of the view below. 

Where'er I gazed, or near or far, 
Was laid the mantle of the snow ; 
Love's grateful pall 
Concealing all 
That had offended, helped to mar, 
Or soiled, the surface just below ! 

In memory, my thoughts returned 
To the barrenness of yesterday, 
When the self-same view, 
In sombre hue, 
Was seen, its vegetation burned, 

And a leafless void on branch and spray. 

59 



But now the landscape beautified, 

And clean, and pure, in glistening white 
Suggests to all 
Who ever fall, 
And fail in keeping back the tide 

Of dread temptation's withering blight 

That Charity, and Faith, and Love, 
Can cover with their kindly screen 
The faults and sin, 
Which reign within 
Our hearts, known to the core, above, 
But shielded here, and so, not seen. 



60 



DEKE 



( D. K. E.) 

TV /TY shepherd dog, with gentle mien, 
-***-*■ You're alwa5^s faithful, always seen 
'Neath windows high, when morning gleams 
Show night is gone, while endless streams 
Of daily duties then begin 
Which early light has ushered in. 

A watch you 've kept in silent hours, 
Alert you 've been, while all your powers 
Were spent to guard your master's home. 
Now as the dawn of day has come, 
Should squirrels dare to cross the lawn 
You 're off to chase them like a fawn ! 

My patient dog, we 've named you Deke, 
Your coat is tan, both soft and sleek. 
'Tis sometimes hard when Nixie's rough, 
And knows not what is " pla} 7 enough," 
To keep your temper, knowing too 
Retaliation rests with you. 

Well, Deke, you're not the only one 
In whom the work is well begun, 
If, with desire to keep the peace, 
You bear injustice, nor release 
The passions wild, but patient be, 
With gentle equanimity. 



61 



NIX 

\ 1 7HY, Nixie, no ! 

* " Now don't do so ! 
It is not right 
To growl and bite. 
You were not taught in such a school 
As that which lets you break a rule 
Formed to protect and safeguard all 
With whom you romp, or play at ball. 

And when you run, 

And have such fun, 

You must play fair ; 

For, if you dare 

To scare away your playmate Jim, 

By rudely snarling so at him, 

While scampering both to get the prize, 

My terrier fox, now is that wise ? 

Your master knows 

'Tis only those 

Who learn in life, 

Through bitter strife, 

Fair dealing wins in the long run. 

But, Nix, my pet, you 're just the son 

Of a terrier dog, and yet, I think 

When you look in my face, and blink 

62 



Your eyes, half sflut, 

Ah ! were there but 

A soul in you, — 

To coax and woo 

And help importunate pleading, 

Your master, countless favors needing, 

Might look above the skies so blue, 

And lessons learn, my dog, of you ! 



63 



NIXIE, MY DOG 

A/'ES, life is tough, 
-*- Living is rough, 

Friends prove unkind, 

But never you mind, 
Nixie, my dog ! 

Dogs sometimes bite 
E'en tho' 3 r ou 're right, 
And act by the card 
While defending the 3 r ard, 
Nixie, my dog ! 

Bites cause you pain 
And when you 've lain 
For weeks in the hall, 
E'en that is not all, 
Nixie, my dog ! 

For you limp and you halt, 
And don't earn your salt ; 
But when you 're all right 
You '11 then bark at night, 
Nixie, my dog ! 

Scaring burglars away 
Till break of the day, 
And so a watch keep 
While your Master's asleep, 
Nixie, my dog ! 



64 



OUR CAT BIRDS 



T TOW pleased we are to have you come 
A A When Spring makes glad the mellow earth, 
When opening leaves and lovely flowers 

And genial warmth proclaim the birth 
Of all that makes this season dear 

To those whose quick and eager eye 
Sees in the glad, unfolding time, 

The promise of the by and by. 

Your suit is drab or sombre slate, 

Your eyes are bright as beads of black ; 
The nesting place you used last year 

Is yours, and nothing shall you lack. 
You 're robed in pretty Quaker dress, 

And when you flirt your saucy tails 
And twist your heads, we 're friends at once ! 

To speak your welcome, language fails. 

You make the early morning hours 

So vibrant with ecstatic bliss, 
By songs of love to busy mates, 

'Twould be misfortune's fate to miss 
One note of such a song-burst, filled 

With joy, devotion, and content. 
We listen, and we try to learn 

The meaning of the message sent. 

65 



When Summer 's over, and from out 

The nest your growing fledglings fly 
To find their place in this great world, 

We wonder if a stifled sigh, 
With dreams of future welfare, too, 

Lie not concealed, within your heart 
As was our portion, when away 

Our birdling flew, from human nest ! 

When Autumn's cold and chilling blast 

Reminds you that the time has come 
To leave behind you all the joys 

That have surrounded Summer's home ; 
And when some crisp and frosty morn 

We wake to find no cat birds here, 
Remember, when 'neath Southern skies, 

We '11 look for you another year ! 



66 



OUT POORS! 

\ II 7HEN Spring comes, then joy comes ! 

" • And what will compare 
With the pleasures of resting 

In God's open air ? 

We sit on the porches 

O'erlooking the lake, 
We revel in sunshine 

As our ease we take. 

With rapture we hail 

The advent of Spring, 
Whose unfolding beauties 

So gladly we sing. 

Ecstatic the voices 

Of birds in the trees ; 
Oh, life seems all gladness 

In moments like these ! 

The air is so genial, 

Soft breezes are rife ; 
All Nature is springing 

To jubilant life ! 

Long may we continue — 

No loss may we know — 
An unbroken circle 

As Springs come and go ! 



67 



CHICAGO — HIGHLAND PARK 

[" LIVED in the city, yes, twenty years long, 
- 1 - And now looking back, it seems so queer 
That in all of that time I never knew half 
Of the joys of the country life near. 

I was proud of the growth of my city, yes, proud 
Of her standing in trade and in art ; 

It seemed that this child of the Middle West 
Was chosen to carry her part 

In the rise and the progress of grand civic life ; 

As leader of Industry's marts ; 
An example of energy forceful and bold, 

While fostering taste in the arts. 

The parks with their flowers, delighted my sight, 

I loved the wide boulevards too ; 
The tall buildings facing our broad inland lake, 

To me, were a wonderful view. 

But when I adopted the country life, 
And bought my own home on the lake, 

By the road winding up thro' the lake-side towns, 
Which the autos and carriages take ; 

When a beautiful, spacious house I found 
Which proudly the setting sun faced, 

On the crest of a wild and deep ravine 
We thought it most charmingly placed. 

68 



Colonial pillars of snow}' wnite 

Rose grandly from shrubbery screen ; 

Wide porches all furnished with rugs and chairs, 
Matched well with the foliage green. 

Then came the beauty of the wide sloping lawn, 

To a point overlooking the reach 
Where terrace and path led easily down 

To the wave beaten sand of the beach. 

On the plateau above, and thro' the ravine 

Were numerous trees, of full size 
And various kinds, from near and from far ; 

These proved the delight of our eyes. 

The garden of flowers, enclosed by a net 
Formed by trellis of fruit and of vine, 

Was the joy and delight of friendly birds ; 
A fine place to breakfast and dine ! 

When all this was found within easy reach 

Of office, and factor, too, 
What wonder existence with crowds then gave way 

To pleasures of life, ever new. 

In the country, where air is so pure and so clean, 
Where the nights are so quiet and clear, 

Where smoke and soot are forgotten complaints, 
And the tumult and jar disappear, 

Ah yes ! at times we believe it is true, 

'Tis easier to live as we ought, 
When beauties of Nature on every side, 

Suggest worthy aims to be sought ; 

69 



Where the calm that pervades the fields and the sea, 
Sinks so deeply in mind and in heart, 

That our souls are at peace with all mankind, — 
So rested, its troubles depart. 

While Heaven allows us the place of our choice, 

And permits us to go and to come 
In safety and happiness, live we content, 

And rejoice in our own country home ! 



7o 



LULLABY 



FOR GEORGE FREDERICK 

OOK up high in the trees, 
-*— ' My baby ! 

See the leaves in the breeze, 
My baby ! 
Soon they '11 all be hushed and still 
Just as mother's baby will, 
Till wake the birds and bees, 
My baby ! 

Roses sleep mid the dew, 

My baby ! 
Birds in nests cuddle too, 

My baby ! 
Rocked in dreams the livelong night ; 
Shielded by His gentle might, 
God keeps both me and you, 
My baby ! 

Lie down and close your eyes, 

My baby ! 
See the stars in the skies ! 
My baby ! 
Mother watches over you, 
And the dear Lord watches, too ; 
Both safe till dawn shall rise, 
My baby ! 



GROWING 

TV /TUDDER come, come quick 
-*-"■*■ Here 's your baby boy 

Bubbling o'er with joy, 
My ! how he can kick ! 

Swinging on the seat, 

Looking at the sky 

Crooning baby bye ! 
All so clean and neat ! 

What a little kicker ! 

Head goes bobbing too ; 

Yes, 'tween me and you 
Like a busy flicker. 

Thus his muscles grow 

Every single day. 

What is that you say ? 
How ? we '11 never know ! 



72 



TWIN PORTRAITS 

"IV /TY portrait ? Yes, 'tis now being painted, 

An attendant canvas to that of my wife ; 
(With inaction I'm getting acquainted.) 
She wouldn't consent to have her face done 
Unless a sketch of myself was begun ; 
And so, to avoid any strife, 
'Twas started. 

Dear me ! what a task to sit patiently 

For hours at a time while gazing afar, 
Pretending to look and to feel pleasant and free, 
As muscles and sinews are fast growing tense, 
And facial expression quite losing its sense, 
Just for effect, that nothing shall mar 
The likeness ! 

And who will value these pictures, or care 

One fig for the people who look from the frames 
Upon their descendants ? Who are this pair ? 
This question may easily rise on the lips 
Of some wond'ring grandchild who shows by his quips 
That interest he clearly disclaims 
In forebears. 

Perhaps these presentments may steadily rise 
From parlor to garret, and so disappear ! 
A future like this would not canonize 

73 



These parents, who tried in their lives, and their day 
An influence to leave that might not decay, 
But help in the life, and career 
Of others. 

I wonder if years upon years from- this day 

Wherever these heirlooms may hang, or hide, 
If the couple depicted e'er shall essay 
To visit the scenes their children adorn 
And gaze on the progeny yet to be born — 
Will it be with contentment and pride ? 
We trust so ! 

But more : when things earthly shall come to a close, 
When lives reach conclusion, and records an end, 
Believing that Grace, of our Souls will dispose, 

As the Heavens roll back on themselves like a scroll, 
May the names of our children appear on Thy roll 
As children of Heaven ! Then will blend 
Thanksgiving. 



74 



TRAVEL 



i 

COMPANIONSHIP 

|" WANT to go a travelling, 
-*■ I 'm not a rolling stone, 
So, all my plans depend on you, 
I cannot go alone. 

Without your joy, my joy would be 

Most sadly incomplete, 
If you were ever at my side 

Joy would be doubly sweet. 

Enjoyment then would surely come 
Because the memory clings 

To cheerful days together spent 
In mutual happenings. 

Discomforts even might be changed 
To times of mirth and glee, 

If minds were bent on bearing ills 
With sweet serenity. 

And then the times of privilege ! 

What joy to count them o'er ! 
And live again in memory, 

Days spent on sea or shore. 

The sympathy of those we love 

We crave, and so 'tis true 
The happiest times are those so shared 

My dear, by me and you. 



77 



TAORMINA 

A RE you seeking a spot where peace shall abide, 
■*- *• Where are beauties of Nature on every side ? 

Taormina fair, 

Perched high in the air, 
Offers its welcome, its climate and view, 
Its blossoms and verdure, with joys ever new. 

Secure on thy crags which reach toward the sea, 
Enshrined in a setting of flower and tree, 

Above noise and jar 

Thou lookest afar 
Across the wide stretch of the ocean, as blue 
As Italy's skies, which give it their hue ! 

Far below, on the rim 'twixt water and cliff, 
We see iron rails, hear whistle and whiff 

Of commerce and trade ; 

And yet to evade 
The rush, and commotion, the turmoil and strife, 
We 've sought thee for rest, and the quiet of life. 

Across the wide strait, Calabria's range 
Mounts, peak upon peak, in grand interchange 

Of form and of hue, 

Oft changing anew 
The outlines of sky to visible shapes 
Which blacken, as shadows conceal its bold capes. 



Up hundreds of feet, the winding paths rise 
From the level of sea ; and blinding our eyes, 

While twisting about, 

We wind in and out, 
Through clouds of dust to the gate of the town, — 
Ah then ! What a view, as we gaze up and down ! 

A thousand feet down, and stretching afar, 
The vista unfolds with nothing to mar, 

The outlook is clear, 

The foreground so sheer 
We see fifty miles of Sicily's coast, — 
The region comprising mythology's boast. 

What wonder a country so fertile and fair 
Should prove to its peoples their joy and despair ! 

As vengeance they wreak 

On Norman and Greek, 
The legions of Rome, a numberless host, 
Or on African hordes from the neighboring coast. 

The Pride of Sicilia, for thousands of years, 
The joy of its dwellers, in spite of their fears, 

Stands brilliantly bright, 

All glistening in white ! 
To Etna we bow, for she is the crown 
Of Italy's greatness, her mount of renown ! 



79 



THE CATACOMBS OF SYRACUSE 

A BOUT this place cling memories, 
•*■ *■ With thoughts of joy and pain ; 
We mind us how for centuries 

The Martyrs here have lain. 

These tunnels through the solid earth, 
Which stretch for miles and miles, 

Were once the homes of Christian men, 
And then, their funeral piles. 

Here lived, and hid, the steadfast souls 

Who first believed the Word, 
And in these chapels underground, 

Their hymns of praise were heard. 

In Christ, so lately crucified, 
Of whom they had been taught, 

Their firm reliance they had placed ; 
His blood their souls had bought. 

We enter in these sacred courts 

With reverence, as is meet ; 
We worship here with heads bowed down, 

Thy blessing we entreat. 

For in this very vaulted room, 

Had echoed words of Paul ; 
Here he had told to willing ears 

Christ's sacrifice for all. 

80 



And we, in lowly p^iitence, 
His words would not forget, 

To us, in this sequestered spot, 
Paul speaketh, even yet. 



GIRGENTI 

"\ 7[ 7E tread thy paths and climb thy hills, 

* * Acragas of the past ; 
We look upon thy sights and scenes 

And wonder, how they last ! 

We seek to realize the thought 

That reared thy temples grand, 
To gain the standpoint of the men 

Who built upon thy strand. 

The ruins which our eyes behold 

To them as altars stood, 
The effort of aspiring souls 

To seek the highest good. 

These pillars wrought in carven stone 

Recall the days when Greece 
Gave beauty to her structures rare : 

Such art knows no decrease ! 

They stand as monuments to-day 

Of what was in the thought 
Of earnest hearts who reached to find 

The help for which they sought. 

The hunger of the human soul, 

Is now, as in the past, 
For something higher than ourselves, — 

A Power to hold us fast. 

82 



Howe'er, in effort weak or vain, 
Men strive for higher good, 

Do Thou the motive look upon ; 
May it be understood ! 

And if our brothers of the past, 
Who lived, and toiled, and died, 

Here did their best, may we who live 
Be slow to carp, and chide. 

And when we see Girgenti's height, 
Its ruins, mouldering fast, 

May we aspire with earnest souls 
To what will Always last. 



83 



A MEDITATION AT AMALFI 

AMALFI the beautiful ! Yes, they are true — 
The stories oft told of the town 
Which clings to the cliffs and fills the ravine, 
Once peopled by folk of renown. 

Such glories alas ! now belong to the Past, 

But God has been kinder to thee, 
He has gathered around thee all splendors of earth, 

All beauties of sky and of sea ! 

We climb up thy steeps, and we gaze o'er the waves, 

Just as thousands have done before ; 
We think the same thoughts, while looking afar, 

That came to thy dwellers of yore. 

For our human hearts are to-day much the same, 

We still have our battles to fight, 
And problems of life, in these privileged days, 

Foreshadow the struggles for Right. 

They differ mayhap from the conflicts agone, 

But the principles ever remain ; 
For we strive that righteousness still shall prevail, 

That Justice its sway shall maintain I 

That Right conquers Wrong ! — the same aims belong 

As much to our times as to theirs ; 
The Hero to-day, as always has been, 

Is the man who for Duty still dares ! 

84 



I 

Whatever the Past has shown to be wrong, 

However the Present we fetter 
With Error's vile chain, we 've unbounded faith 

In the thought that the world's growing better. 

And so while the conflict continues to rage, 

The vista from Amalfi's height 
Still wafts us the balm of an infinite calm 

And the promise of ultimate Right ! 



85 



TAJ MAHAL 

/^~\H peerless Taj ! fond expression of love ! 
^^ Thou greetest us now with the self-same thought 
That inspired thy builder, in ages agone, 
To raise a memorial, laden and fraught 

With a husband's affection, fitly expressed 

In stones that were grandly and pricelessly rare, 

Laid together with skill unerringly true. 

Beauty enshrines thee, thou wondrously fair ! 

Thou marvelous Taj ! of pure marble and gems, 
Such artists as made thee, oh, where are they now ? 

Silvered by moonlight thy radiance and grace 
Force Moslem and Christian in rev'rence to bow 

To what thou dost symbol in each human heart, 
All feeling thy sway, both uplifting and strong, 

Suggesting perfection, the triumph of right, 
The victory of righteousness over the wrong. 

Oh wonderful Taj ! thy rare beauty enthralls ; 

All Soul-satisfying and uplifting view ! 
Thou teachest this lesson to those 'neath the sun 

That old as love is, love is still ever new ! 



86 



KINKINJUNKA 

TV^INKINJUNKA, thou mighty creation ! 
-"-^- How shall I speak of thee, how can I tell 
Of thy grandeur and majesty, throned as thou art 
In glory and beauty, which act like a spell 

O'er the heart of each reverent beholder ! 

Thou vision of nature, enthroned in the sky, 
Far above and beyond man's knowledge or thought, 

Exponent of all that is noble and high. 

Awesome thou art ! and souls down on their knees 
Worshipped the God that formed thee of old — 

That gave thee thy beauty, thy snow, and thy frost, 
Thy glittering splendor, thy infinite cold. 

Man ne'er has scaled thee. He wonders afar 

At the sheer desolation seen on thy face ; 
He gazes in awe at the mountains of ice, 

Vast, coexistent with the dawn of the race. 

In glory of sunrise, thy peaks all aflame, 

Thy shadows made black by the contrast of light ; 

We feel Thy Omniscience, Thy presence, Thy power, 
Creator Supreme ! Embodiment of might ! 

Above all the standards of our lower earth, 

And piercing the heavens with thy pinnacled form, 

Thou reachest beyond man's ambitions and ken, 

Thy head midst the clouds, and the mist, and the storm. 



We bow to thee, Vision of Heaven, so grand ! 

Overpoweringly forceful, so potent, so grim ! 
And cry with the Psalmist, in humility deep, 

" What " then, " is man, that Thou 'rt mindful of him." 



JAPAN'S INLAND SEA 

\ ^ 7HILE musing o'er delightful scenes, 

And choosing where our thoughts would be, 
Now tell me is there any dream 

Like Nippon's far-famed Inland Sea ? 

Where flashing waves and curling spray 

Are seen to windward and to lea, 
Revealing hues of Heavenly blue, 

When winds sweep o'er the Inland Sea. 

The dancing lights on answering waves 

Suggest a feast of minstrelsy, 
As glancing sun its glory shows 

On shimmering, shining, Inland Sea. 

The curious craft seen everywhere 

Whose glinting sails are blowing free, 

But tell of sturdy fisher-folk, 

Who ply their trade on Inland Sea. 

Shadows on terraced, vine-clad hills, 

And vivid green on every tree ; 
Eternal calm is here enshrined, 

By restful, quiet, Inland Sea. 

Remembering well these lovely scenes, 

Our party, just our family three, 
Delight to dwell in memory 

On this romantic Inland Sea. 



When shall we cease to love the days 
Dear to you both, and dear to me ; 

Those happy days together spent 
Beside the placid Inland Sea. 

And for the time which comes to all, 
When we must " lay us down and dee, 1 

Know you a more soul-restful spot 
Than Heaven's moonlit Inland Sea ? 

Where'er we are, 'tis faith alone 

That opes our eyes to joys that be — 

The " Home Beyond," diviner far 
Than even Nippon's Inland Sea ! 



90 



A RETROSPECT 

"\ ~X 7HEN thoughtful moods compel a backward look, 
* ' And mem'ry brings us days spent years ago 

On Nippon's Isle, in town or sheltered nook, 
Or where her rushing rivers swiftly flow ; 

What scenes, my lovely wife and daughter fair, 
Come often to our raptured visions now ? 

Do thoughts of Temples grand, or treasures rare 
Induce our minds in reverence to bow 

To what artistic souls have deftly made, 
With aim to give, in spite of limitations, 

The best that in them lies, and so have laid 
A high example thus for other nations ; 

Or, do we think when fondly conning o'er 
The past, of incidents and pleasures, too, 

Which lifted aspirations high, and more 

Of Heaven's rich glories clearly brought to view ? 

Dost mind the mellow tones that floated soft 
O'er Yokohama's fair and far-famed bay? 

From warship's evening bugle borne aloft 

To where, with listening ear we watched to pay 

Our tribute of farewell to dying day, 

While thankful thoughts, in twilight's waning light, 
Came crowding fast for blessings on our way ; 

And with the bugle, bade the world, Good Night. 

9i 



Remember, too, with morn on Nikko's height, 
The deep-toned gong's reverberating thrill 

That called to prayer with morning's early light ; 
Canst hear those tintinabulations still ? 

And can it be, should Heaven call us soon 
To learn and know of God's ecstatic Love, 

That richer, sweeter, tones shall be the boon 
To help enrapture our three souls above ? 



92 



CANTON IN 1901 

TV TARROW, dirty, winding streets, 
**■ ^ Screened with bamboo shades, 
Sunlight scarcely filtering through 
Ere the daylight fades. 

Teeming with humanity 

Curious to us, 
Crowds our party followed fast, 

Growing riotous ! 

Throwing old banana skins 

At each luckless head, 
" Foreign Devils " calling loud, 

Wishing we were dead. 

Fortunate we failed to grasp 

Epithets thrown out ; 
Boxer malice still contained 

Hate in every shout. 

This the welcome Canton gave 

As we rode her streets, 
Borne by hardy coolie men 

Famed for sturdy feats. 

Caged in sable Sedan chairs 

Helpless as a bat, 
Guide and family in front, 

Shoulder high I sat. 



93 



While our human horses, four 

To each passenger, 
Trotting through the twisting lanes, 

Bore each prisoner. 

Calling loud to slow the pace 

Yet misunderstood, 
Faster yet we jolted on 

In bewildering mood. 

Through the alleys, trades akin 

Here conjoined, abide ; 
While at times our outstretched palms 

Reached to either side. 

Sometimes touching rodents, dead, 

Hung in strings, to view, 
Dried, and so exposed for sale 

Doubt it ? Yet, 'tis true. 

But in spite of sights so strange 

In the stores here found, 
Textures fine and carvings rare 

Everywhere abound. 

Artists, in the higher sense, 

These Mongolians are ! 
At their skill and cleverness 

Wonder we, afar. 

Wheresoe'er we find success 

In accomplishment, 
We should give it honest praise, — 

And with good intent. 

94 



So from this forbidding race, 

Mystically stern, 
In attainments, we take note, 

We have much to learn. 

Of each point of interest 

Volumes might be said ; 
Here is China's singular 

"City of the Dead." 

Of Pagodas high and strange, 

Built so long ago, 
History hides in silence deep 

Much we long to know. 

When in times of thoughtfulness 
Visions bright are reared, 

Mem'ry cannot thee efface, 
Canton, wild and weird. 

Once again we thread thy ways, 
As in some quaint dream, 

And hear the shrill and vibrant cries 
Where thy myriads teem ; 

Mark thy scenes that vividly 

Thro' life we '11 recall ; 
World apart ! Yet with One Wise 

Purpose thro' it all ! 



95 



MOSES' WELLS 

T TOW often moments come in life, 
-*- A (E'en though our protests rise,) 
When rest and thought, although enforced, 
Are "blessings in disguise." 

The mind divorced from pressing toil, 

Its tasks laid on the shelf, 
The heart assumes a quiet mood, — 

"At leisure from itself." 

'Tis then that Nature's beauties sink 

Into our consciousness, 
And thoughts made welcome to the brain 

Oft come to soothe and bless. 

Against our wills, one sunny morn, 

Because the stated time 
Had not elapsed since last we left 

Fair India's favored clime, 

Politely we were asked to leave 

Our steamship and careen 
In one of Egypt's sailing craft, 

Then bound for Quarantine. 

And all because, tho' well and strong, 

Our time still lacked one day 
Of ten required, since sailing from 

Plague-stricken, sad Bombay ! 

96 



* 

So stowed away, with baggage, too, 
We said our fond farewells, 

And settled down to " doing time " 
In Ancient "Moses' Wells." 

We longed to see the Citadel, 
The gems of Eg3 r pt's crown ; 

We felt our time would wasted be 
Away from Cairo town. 

The strip of sand on which we lived, 

And peopled by the score 
Of souls sent out to bide their time, 

To some, was Mercy's door, — 

A door of Opportunity 

To see a phase of life 
To home experience strange enough, 

And with surprises rife. 

For when the sunset's glory came 
And shone on Afric's shore, 

Across the narrow strip of sea 
We gazed, and to adore ! 

The purple radiance on the cap 

Of every yellow peak, — 
The violet shadows, next the blue, 

Our rapturous joy bespeak. 

The black and brown of stretch of sand 
'Twixt range and sea-marge told 

Of desert wastes, but far above 
Gleamed hues of living gold ! 

97 



'Tis only those who roam the plains, 

In our own Native land, 
Who see the glorious color schemes 

There shown on every hand. 

And here upon the Red Sea shore 

Where histor}>- was made 
Were giv'n to us, by Nature's art, 

Wonders of light and shade ! 

Imagination stirred the soul, — 

Before us passed the host 
Of Israel's children, — here they crossed 

The Sea to Arab Coast. 

While turning round, our eyes descried 

Across the desert's glow, 
The rising mound of verdure fair 

Where living waters flow. 

On this rich spot to Heaven was raised, 

'Neath palms of Moses' day, 
Glad thanks for sweet deliverance, 

So dear to hearts alway : 

The joyous, grand, triumphant song 
Which down all time has rung, — 

The hymn of praise to God in Heaven 
By Miriam proudly sung ! 

Hark ! Sound the timbrel ! echoes wide 

And loud, o'er Egypt's sea, 
And now, as in the misty past, 

" His people ' still ' are free ! " 



COSIETOFT RANCH 

/CALIFORNIA'S valleys are fruitful and fair, 
^-^ 'Tis her beauties that charm, then our senses 
ensnare ; 

For her hills and her plains, 
Blest by God's frequent rains, 
Cause the face of Dame Nature to blossom and smile ! 
They soothe our disquiet, our woes they beguile. 

What joy to arrive in the Summerland there ! 
And, leaving behind the bleak, frosty air 

Of our Great Inland Lake, 

Toward the Setting Sun take 
Our joyful departure, while counting the hours 
'Till we gain this fair country " of sunshine and flowers." 

Awaiting our coming, in the glory of bloom 

Are the almonds pervading the air with perfume, 

While a thousand fine trees 

Are the joy of the bees, 
Their pink and white blossoms a glorious sight ! 
Let 's hope they '11 escape the late frost's chilling blight. 

Midst the trees, like the outstretched wings of a dove, 
Builded new and complete, — the proof of our love, — 

Stands the house of our pride ! 

Even leaves cannot hide 
The cobble stone ranch, with its trellis of vine, 
Our " Cosietoft " bungalow, — what a fine place to dine ! 

99 



In the wings' of this beautiful mountain retreat 
Are found many comforts, most properly meet, — 

Just such comforts as give 

To the life that we live 
The relief, the luxurious freedom from care 
And the woes and the ills we can easily spare. 

We enter a stately and wide central hall, 

Where trophies of huntsmen are found on the wall ; 
Fireplaces, piled high, 
Heaped with knots and roots dry, 

Give a welcome suggesting the far Western Coast ! 

Would that courtesy everywhere might be our boast ! 

In the Antelope Valley this shelter is placed, — 

That marvelous basin whose carpet is graced 
By millions of flowers, 
And rich fruit trees in bowers, — 

All hemmed in by ranges of mountains, so grand ! 

That uplift their proud summits on every hand ! 

These peaks to the north and the south, all aglow 
With the glancing light of the sun on the snow, 
Seem High Heaven to meet 
At some ten thousand feet, — 
Give the promise, at dawn, of another glad day, 
And, at evening, reflect the sun's dying ray. 

But of all the bright blessings so freely bestowed 

On those that repose in this mountain abode, 
Is the blessing of health, 
Far more precious than wealth ! 

'Tis the blessing we value the most, when 'tis lost ! 

With a rational life, here, 'tis giv'n without cost ! 

ioo 



t 
UNSOPHISTICATED 

I ^ARLY one morning I paced the clean deck 
"■ — * Of a good ship sailing the Tideless Sea ; 
We were off the Coast of Mystical Greece, 
To Her I would willingly bend the knee ! 

Mythology's legends haunted my brain, 

And I longed to gain a sight of the land 
Made famous in history, art, and romance ; 

Of her snow-covered peaks, both lofty and grand ! 

The distance allowed but a passable view 

Of mountain and peak, but still their white line 

Shone clearly at times, in the bright morning sun, 
As mine eyes I strained, their forms to divine. 

On turning about, I saw I was not 

Quite alone in the motive and cause of my search, 
For peering afar was a maiden demure 

As well as the lookout aloft on his perch. 

She questioned the Captain, but with his replies 
Seemed displeased, and quickly departed below ; 

But later I saw her, and heard her remark 
How rude he had been, in answering her so. 

"And what did he say ? " was the eager demand. 

" Why I asked, — 'twas the easiest question you know,- 
What the white line was, on the rim of the sea, 

He said it was Greece, but I knew it was snow /" 



IOI 



UP FRASER RIVER 

OWIMMING 'gainst the current strong and swift, 
v -' Ever pushing onward toward the goal 

Thro' the foaming swirl, 

Where the eddies whirl, 
Like a weary, hungry, restless, soul 
Seeking solace through some unknown rift ; 

Thus the salmon in the mighty tide 
Of the Fraser River, onward press 
Thro' the rapids' foam, 
Seeking for a home 
In some limpid stream where free from stress 
They may spawn, and where their young may bide. 

How they rush and crowd toward the source 
Of the curling, surging, foaming suds, 
Rushing to the front 
In their mad'ning hunt ; 
This their steady purpose, spite of floods, 
To succeed, by patient, toiling, force. 

From the time they leave the ocean beach, 
Death and danger lurking on all sides, 
Miles and miles they go, 
Each intent, and so 
Making use of whatsoe'er betides, 
Whensoe'er it helps the goal to reach. 

1 02 



t 

Many a favoring shelter near the banks, 

Countless counter currents, formed by rocks, 
Help the tired trout, 
Ere his strength gives out ; 
Yet not even iron bars and locks 
Can defeat his aim, or thin his ranks. 

Man alone attempts these fish to snare, 
He their steadfast foe, and ready still, 
Stands await to spear 
Those who come too near 
To his lines or where his scoop nets fill, 
Throwing salmon beauties thro' the air. 

Millions still escape, tho' dangers lurk, 
Finding quiet waters fresh and pure ; 
So these fish conserved, 
Salmon trout preserved, 
Give to mankind while the years endure, 
Sustenance in season, for his work. 



103 



MISCELLANEOUS 



ILLINOIS! 

(meaning: "we are men!") 
Air : " Baby Mine ! " 

/^VER thy rivers, gently flowing, 

^^ Illinois, Illinois, 

Where thy stately corn is growing, 

Illinois, Illinois, 
Hark ! that word to us, so dear, 
With its message bold and clear, 
' Tis the name we love to hear, 

Illinois, Illinois, — 
' Tis the name we love to hear, 

Illinois ! 

See ! 'mid flow'rs in mighty measure, 

Illinois, Illinois, 
Golden Rod, thy yellow treasure, 

Illinois, Illinois ; 
' Tis the emblem of thy host 
Gathered here from ev'ry coast — 
Stalwart hearts, thy pride and boast, 

Illinois, Illinois, — 
Stalwart hearts, thy pride and boast, 

Illinois ! 

Pride of all thy sons and daughters, 
Illinois, Illinois, 

107 



By thy peopled inland waters, 

Illinois, Illinois, 
Fair Chicago, great and grand, 
Wealth and Progress on each hand, 
Welcome gives to ev'ry land, 

Illinois, Illinois, — 
Welcome gives to ev'ry land, 

Illinois ! 



Thou hast heard thy Country calling, 

Illinois, Illinois, 
' Mid the din of War appalling, 

Illinois, Illinois, 
Then thy courage and thy will 
Rose each heart to fire and thrill ! 
Brave and loyal thou art still, 

Illinois, Illinois, — 
Brave and loyal thou art still, 

Illinois ! 



While thy Lincoln's fame is cherished, 

Illinois, Illinois, 
Till thy Logan's name has perished, 

Illinois, Illinois, 
While thy Grant shall honored be 
Thro' our Nation grand and free, 
We shall love and honor thee, 

Illinois, Illinois, 
We shall love and honor thee, 

Illinois ! 

108 



I 

While thy glory we are singing, 

Illinois, Illinois, 
Loyal homage to thee bringing, 

Illinois, Illinois, 
Let us praise His holy Name 
Thro' Whose might all good we claim, 
Who has wrought thy wondrous fame, 

Illinois, Illinois, — 
Who has wrought thy wondrous fame, 

Illinois ! 



109 



IN A PARLOR CAR 

T guess it 's a hat, it must be so, 
-*■ Enormous though it be, 
It looms above the seat in front 
And ends the view for me ! 

I only know it looks just like 

A basket upside down, 
The kind we put waste paper in ; 

We buy them in the town. 

Tis braided straw of yellow hue, 
With sprays of green, and fruit, 
Her brownish hair is soft and fine ; 
The dress must surely suit ! 

Of course there is a face there, too, 

But all I see, is hat ! 
The maiden keeps her chair turned front 

I 'm sorry too for that ! 

Perhaps her face is wondrous fair, 

And matches carven comb ; 
You 'd seldom see a finer shell 

Where 'er your eyes may roam ! 

While just above the green plush chair 

This vision meets my view 
Of silky hair below the straw, 

Yet still, some doubts ensue. 

no 



t 

Is she a maid, or woman grown ? 

I feel a kind of dread 
That this romance might disappear 

If she should turn her head ! 



in 



NO CHANGE! 

A SOUTHERN INCIDENT 

"\ ^ 7"HEN I was touring through the Sunny South, 

Enjoying to the full its Winter days, — 
The warmth, the cheery sunshine everwhere, 
Its people giving welcome, in kind ways, — 

One morning, needing change, I sauntered forth 
To find a friend who'd break a " five" for me ; 

But failing in my search for him I sought, 
I looked abroad for any I might see 

Who thus might save me from unlucky plight 
Of owning funds yet having none to spend. 

Soon, sitting on a fence, so pensively, 

I spied a ' Coon " who seemed to be my friend. 

For on his aged face a smile was spread, 
Evincing peace of mind, and well content, 

If only sun would shine with genial warmth, 
Allowing scope for thoughts on pleasure bent. 

To him no troubles came, his work was done ; 

He wished no greater joy than just to be 
Alive, and watch the crowd that passed him by : 

Would that such ease might some day come to me ! 

But hoping that this aged darkey man 
Might be the banker I so vainly sought, 

112 



I said Say Uncle, it was for your race 

We soldier boys marched through this town, and fought 

On many a blood3 r field ; but now I want 

To ask a favor of your courtesy ; 
Please change this bill, ' tis onljr five, you see, 

And you will do a kindly act for me." 

Then Uncle slowly rose, and bowing low 

Said, " Massa, I 'd be mighty glad, I 'se sure 

To change dis five you 're pleased 'ter show 'ter me, 
And when I see dat bill, hits like a cure 

Fo' dese sore eyes, fo' sure 's you're born, hits true, 
I hasn't seen so much, since I 'se been lame, 

Nigh twenty j^ear," then, looking up, he said : 
" I tank you fo' de comp 'ment, jus de same." 



113 



A GENTLE CORRECTION 

" What's in a Name?" 

/^\H please, Miss Julie, this I mean, 
^-^ Don 't call me Mr. Beach, 
If all the same to you, I wish 

You'd change that form of speech." 

" But really," answered Juliet, 

" I hav 'n 't known you long, 
And hardly dare to seem more fond, 

My courage is not strong." 

Tis not your courage troubles me, 
Perhaps I ought to teach 
You now, despite your winning ways, 
My rightful name is, Leech." 



114 



SUBURBAN RIDES 

["AID you ever think, when speeding 
*~^ From suburban home to town, 
And while comfortably reading, 
Absorbed, and looking down, 

How fast the landscape passes, 
As the train goes rushing through, 
At speed of sixty miles, or more, 
The towns, both old and new ? 

Did you ever count the moments, 
And think, my neighbor friend, 
If disaster then should happen, 
How quick might be your end? 

To the engineer, Life trusting, 
Implicit is that trust ; 
We know he is a chosen man, 
Think his selection just. 

On his steady nerve relying, 
His watchful, ceaseless care, 
He brings us to our journey's end, 
We, only pay our fare ! 

Did you ever think, day riding, 
From Highland Park to town, 
That in the course of just one year, — 
Should you set the mileage down, 

ii5 



And fairly reckon up the sum, 
Then figure out the girth 
Of our rotund, terrestrial ball, — 
That you travel round the earth ? 



116 



t 
BACON 

HPRAVELING South in a talkative mood, 
Were Kelly, Judge Owen, and Steele, 
Seated at lunch in a fine dining car, 

Enjoying a well relished meal. 
The subject of nourishment came to the front, 

And the value of various foods ; 
The joking provoked by the casual talk 

Showed divergence of varying moods. 

And Owen and Steele persisted in this, — 

That Kelly's crisp bacon, in strips, 
But seasoned the bread on which it was spread, 

And so gave it zest ' tween his lips ; 
That the bread it was that sustenance gave, 

And the bacon was only the dash 
Of relish ; quite unlike the eggs of the Judge 

Which formed a fit match for Steele's hash ! 

Said Owen : " My friend, what you sadly need 

Are those foods which nourish your brain, 
By their use you '11 stimulate matter called " gray 

Which dormant for years there has lain ! " 
These jibes on said Kelly made little impress, — 

He on his pork steadily fed ; 
But once he rejoined, in tones that convinced : 

11 Yet Bacon made Shakespeare, I 've read ! " 



117 



ONCE MORE 



T)ERHAPS you 've noticed, now and then, 
■*- Between the countless railroad men 

Who toil by day or night, 
And in our Nation thus compose 

A mighty force for right, 
That this common salutation goes — 

Is heard from shore to shore : 
" Once more." 

In starting off upon a trip, 

With sober mien, or with a " flip ; " 

Again, in " pulling in " 
From one more ride upon the rails, 

Above the noise and din, 
This thought, or language, seldom fails — 

' Tis felt to inmost core, — 
" Once more." 

And why ? we may be sure, my friend, 
Where danger is, the thoughts oft tend 

To what might come to one 
Whose daily duty is conjoined, — 

Until completely done, — 
With perils ; so employment coined 

The phrase ; each day we 're thankful for 
Once more. 

118 



I 

Recurring duties in each life 

Make up our toil, till ends the strife ; 

We work until the call 
Releases us from all that 's past, 

And ends the trip for all ; 
But some sad day will be the last ! 

Then, useless to implore : 
" Once more ! " 



119 



GRANDMA ALLEN 

BORN DECEMBER I, l8l8 

T T TELL, Grandma, 

* * Isn't it grand 
To be the oldest lady in the land ! 
To receive, 
On every hand, 

The thoughtful care which comes from kindliness ! 
Say, Grandma, 
Let me guess 
How old you are ? 
Or, you confess ! 

Ninety ! no, 

It can't be so ! 

For you are as spry as many a younger doe ; 

But still I know 

Years swiftly go. 

When I reach ninety, then, if you '11 stay here, 

I will concede, 

( If you can hear ! ) 

That then you '11 be 

A very aged dear ! 



120 



I 

REMOVAL OF TEMPTATION 

|" HEARD a good story last evening, 
■*■ Concerning the horrid saloon ; 
Where do you think the speaker bright 
Would locate this doubtful boon ? 

He said there was only one station 
Where such a curse should be set ; 

And that was where all the drinkers, 
Were absent, yes, even yet ! 

He thought there could be no danger 

To the people, as a whole, 
If saloons were promptly licensed 

And opened around the North Pole ! 



121 



A FINISHED EDUCATION 

f~\L,D Carter had a wonderful child, 
^-^ At least he often vowed he had : 
" If edication 's what you want, 

Sing out," said he, " call on yer dad ! 

''just keep from readin' papers, gal, 
They aint no good, I have no doubt, — 

Filled up with murders and sichlike, — 
These from your life I want left out." 

So, shielded from these tales of crime, 

"All finished" came home fair Miss Carter ; 

But that first night, before her dad, 
She murdered Beethoven's Sonata ! 



122 



I 

THE POINT OF VIEW 

1"T makes a lot of difference 
■*• In making up one's mind, 
Just what the standpoint ought to be 
When we our judgment find. 

And parents sometimes look at things 

In quite a diffefent light, 
From what their children's point of view 

Impresses on their sight. 

Said a kindly and inquiring friend, 

To little Bobby Strong : 
" Say, Bobby, how does father, and 

Your mother get along ? " 

The little fellow hung his head, 

And as there came a gleam 
Of recollections past, he said : 

" Oh, they 're a spanking team ! " 



123 



A CHILD'S CONUNDRUM 

U CAY, father, why don't baby talk ? " 
^ A sample this, as posers go, — 

" Why, darling," said the parent fond, 
' He 's not old enough, you know. 

" For little babies have to learn, 

And it will be another year 
Before we have the joy of hearing 

Tom put words together, dear." 

" Then babies, now, can't be so smart, 
'Cause, father dear, you read this morn, 

Out of the Bible, so it 's true, 

1 Job cursed the day he was born ! ' " 



124 



CONFIDENCES 



/^*OME Jo, jump up and cuddle down, — 
^■^ Don't you dare to doubt it, 
But be so still, and listen hard, — 
I '11 tell you all about it. 



You see the doctor came last night 
And came prepared to stay. 

The brilliant moonlight shone around 
Almost as bright as day. 

What did he come for ? Now my dear 
You hush ! I 've lots to tell ! 

You know of late that Cousin Bess 
Has not been very well. 

Before he took his wrappings off 

He went way up, on top 
Of this great house, to get a view ; 

We couldn't make him stop ! 

He strained his eyes to see the Fort, 
But it was most too dark, — 

He looked out West, and then toward 
The rest of Highland Park. 

He gazed to North, to South, and West, 
Their whole sky-line to take ; 

And then he turned, and looked far out 
Across the moon-lit lake. 

125 



And Josephine, what do you think ? 

He thought he saw a speck 
Way up among the silvery clouds, 

A basket round its neck ! 

He wasn't sure, but it seemed like 
A great, white flying cork. 

It was so light and airy, but 

My goodness ! 'twas the stork ! 

He scampered down from off the roof 
Where the great ridge-poles fork, 

And hurried back into the house 

And cried, he 'd " seen the stork ! " 

So everybody fell to work 

To be in readiness, 
So that the gift should not pass by, 

But our own home should bless ! 

Now Jo, my dear, what do you think 

Is flying way up high 
This happy Independence Day ? 

Guess, Jo ! then I '11 tell why. 

Way up upon the white flag-pole 
Our grand flag floats to-day, 

And up above the larger one 
A tinier display ! 

A little silken flag, which says 

" George Fred'rick, happy child ! " 

You may be sure, with joy fulness 
Betty and George are wild ! 

126 



I 

L'ENVOI 

* I ^HE sprightly and dear little maiden of seven, 
■*■ For whom the foregoing was penned, 
Appeared in our parlors this morning ; 
And, as on her perception was dawning 
The scene, to which all her attention was given, 
She decided her presence to lend 

By gracing the time, the occasion and place, 

With thoughtful observance, forsooth ! 

The writer, placed in an easy pose, 

Intently gazed, as an Artist rose 

And with brush in hand, and a facile grace, 

Recorded his features, in truth. 

The unwonted sight seemed for silence to call ; 
In her eyes the Artist was sainted ! 
But, later, she told her mother dear, 
With earnest thought, and with meaning clear, 
That her Uncle Fred, at Fredella Hall, 
" Was having his po'try painted ! " 

Now, friends and companions, and all who read 
My message, or clear-toned or faint, 
Remember the words of my little niece, 
And, should you care its worth to increase, 
Of faults and shortcomings take scanty heed, 
But artistically add needed paint ! 



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